Trio making key 'Transition!'

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Leeward O'ahu Writer

NANAKULI — Three Nanakuli High School live wires have caught the attention of a lot of folks.

Nanakuli seniors Nikita Mendonca, Christian Kaeo and Tiarae Gututala, from left, with student adviser Robin Kitsu in back, have pulled off a string of accomplishments. They'll soon star in "Beauty and the Beast," and have helped launch a periodical aimed at students. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

"I'm very impressed with them," said KITV reporter Caroline Sluyter. "I think they'll really go far."

At only 17 years of age, seniors Nikita Mendonca, Tiarae Gututala and Christian Kaeo have pulled off a string of creative accomplishments:

• Beginning March 4, they will star in the first Hawai'i production of "Beauty and the Beast" since Disney released the rights to the production. Christian plays the Beast, Nikita plays Belle, his love interest, and Tiarae plays one of "The Silly Girls."

• Last year Nikita and Tiarae produced the school newspaper, Ka Leo O Nanakuli, practically by themselves. In May, the paper won a special Merit Award at the Hawai'i State High School Journalism Awards Competition. The September issue, with stories by Nikita, Tiarae and Christian, was noticed by the Obun Hawai'i Group printing and publishing company of Honolulu.

• In June, Nikita and Tiarae traveled to New York City to attend the Scholastic Press Association Summer Journalism Workshop at Columbia University. While there, they met Disney star Christy Carlson Romano, who played Belle in the Broadway production of "Beauty and The Beast."

• The following month the two girls worked a stint at KITV in Honolulu, shadowing reporter Sluyter.

• Cynthia Emoto, who's with Obun Hawai'i Group, was so moved by the students' journalistic work, she invited them to be part of an advisory team for a new 120,000-circulation periodical aimed at students. She says the kids not only made valuable contributions, they came up with the magazine's name — "Transition!"

The "Transition!" experience has been especially exciting — for the kids and the publication. Emoto said the full-color magazine will mark the company's 35th anniversary. "Transition!" will focus on youth, school and career issues, and naturally, students — who will also be actively involved in the publication. The first issue will include a profile of Nikita.

Publisher Raymond Nishigaya calls "Transition!" which will be distributed free to every middle and high school in the state, "the most significant local publication in recent years."

All three students are in both programs. Kitsu serves as the dynamic trio's intellectual appendage.

"These three are the live wires who have consistently produced quality work," said Kitsu, who's also the school's curriculum coordinator. "They're not going to go for the easy stories."

For Kitsu and the kids, the News Media program has been a labor of love. It has little official status at the school other than as an afterschool/weekend program — and students don't ordinarily like to give up their free time. But Nikita, Tiarae and Christian consider themselves fortunate for having the opportunity to ply their chosen trade.

"I would say, if it wasn't for these three kids, the News Media program would have died," said Kitsu. "In fact, we ended up last year with a newspaper staff of three kids. So for them to have won an award, it's really an accomplishment."

The Nanakuli trio began as a duo — Nikita and Tiarae having been best friends since seventh grade. Christian, who transferred to Nanakuli in the 2003-04 school year and joined the communications team this year, became the third partner almost instantly.

"We clicked well," said Tiarae. "We do everything and anything together. We're all equal. We cover each other."

"Sometimes it's like a war zone because we all have our own ideas," added Nikita. "But that only lasts for a couple of minutes. And then we compromise. And when we combine our ideas, it's a better idea than any idea any one of us had."

The plan, they say, is to continue their education and to major in communications and minor in performing arts. They've all applied at the same institution — Hawai'i Pacific University.

As realists, they understand that things don't always work out as planned. "But we hope we'll be doing creative things together," said Christian.

"He's shy," Tiarae said with a laugh. "But he's got the Beast down!" After a pause she added, "Between the two of us, though, he hasn't got a chance."

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8038.